The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-07-07
HAGS. OR BuRGLARs.

As viii be seen by a perusal of our
local columns, the burglars are once
more having picnic in Emporia, and,
seemingly, have everything their own
way. No precautions taken by our po-
lice seem to have any effect whatever
on their actions. Indeed, a year ago,
when quite a large force Of extras was
put on the force and the entire city put
under a system of patrol, the burglar
les seemed to grow more numerous and
more daring than ever.
But there are methods of preventing
burglaries. Some of them such as are
in vogue and thoroughly enforced in
all large cities.
Wichita has been lately infested by
gangs of burglars, highway robbers and
cut-throats, and radical measures were
resorted to with good effect, and, as one
of the Wichita papers says:
AS the ''vags'' depart the ''hold-ups,"
burglaries and sneak-thieving diminish.
Let the good work go on.
Emporia has a city ordinance which,
if properly enforced, would rid us of a
CAolob Vi RCOpAO WIN AAO ny
many of our citizens as being either the
authors or instigators of all the rob
berries which take place, and, judging
by the experience of Wichita, with good
reason. The following are some of the
provisions of the ordinance, which at
present is dead letter:
Section /. A vagrant under the
I'D vsaars e -.
nance, shall be deemed to be,
/. An able-bodied male person over
the age of sixteen years, who, not hay
ing any visible means to maintain him
self, lives idly, without employment or
without any settled place of abode.
2. Any able-bodied male or female
person over the age of sixteen years,
found wandering abroad or begging, or
going from door to door begging, or ap-
pearing in any street, thorOughfare or
other public place begging or receiving
aims.
8. ANY male or female person who
shall be the keeper, proprietor, or ex-
hibitor of any gaming table or device,
or who shall be an assistant or attend
at any such gaming table or device.
4. Any male or female person who,
living idly, without employment, ha-
bitually associates with persons having
the reputation of being thieves, burg
lars, pickpockets or pigeon troopers, OF
who habitually lodges in or frequents
houses or other places having the repu-
tation of being the resort of thieves,
burglars, pickpockets or pigeon drop
pers, or places for the reception of
stolen property.
Section 4. Any person who shall be
convicted of being a vagrant, under
the provisions of this ordinance, shall
be adjudged to pay a fine as follows:
For the first offense of not less than
five dollars nor more than fifty dollars;
for the second offense not less than ten
nor more than one hundred dollars; and
for every subsequent offense the fine
shall not be less than twenty five dol
lars.
Radical measures of some kind must
assuredly be taken promptly, or the
city will again be in a state of terror
similar to what it was last year, when
burglaries were occurring almost every
night, and sometimes three or four in
one night.
Another method, and good one, has
been receiving serious consideration by
Mayor Weaver. 1t is to offer stand
ing reward of, say 800, for the capture
dead or alive, of any person caught in
the act of burglary.
Both the above measures might be
utilized with good effect. At al
events, the enforcement of the "vag
act" can have only good effect, as il
will drive from our midst set of PEG
pie who, to say the least, do us no good
and live on the fruits of the industry Of
| others.